Rebuilding the kibbutz Nahal Oz near Gaza.

An old plow used in the early days of Kibbutz Nahal Oz in Israel near Gaza.

Dec. 12, 2025 Jerusalem, Israel

Shalom,

On Dec. 8, 2025, I had the opportunity to travel to Kibbutz Nahal Oz, next to the IDF Army post across the highway, just a few miles from the Gaza border. On the way there we could see Gaza City. And it wasn't destroyed as the international press (American press included) would have you think. But the Jewish lives across the border, and the army base, had many murdered people on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas and multitudes crossed over into Israel from Gaza. Hamas and the Palestinians are the ones who started the horrific war in their attempt to destroy Israel from many fronts. 

But the Living God of Israel intervened, as He always does.

My friend Gert from Christian Friends of Israel Jerusalem and I traveled the several hours to the kibuutz to help bring restoration and much needed repairs. During the six hours there we laid new laminate flooring in a bedroom. The teenager who had occupied the room would not go back to the room as a result of the destruction and his memories during that horrible time. We pray the Lord heals those memories and shows Himself strong on his behalf.

Following are a few photos I took.

Ahava and shalom,

Steve Martin

Love Fro His People Ministry

From Jerusalem, Israel

Nahal Oz community center with busted out windows.

The bedroom being restored.

The shelter which did save some lives.

Insect nests inside the shelter.

A German church group was there for the week also helping with restoration.

Restoration in progress.

Tomas (Germany), Gert (Netherlands), Steve (USA)

A member of the Nahal Oz kibbutz who helped direct the projects.

#Rebuilding #kibbutz #NahalOz #Gaza #GazaCity #Jews #Oct72023 #Christians #ChristianFriendsofIsrael

 

Surviving the Hamas Massacre - The Rosenberg Report

British Actress Helen Mirren: The best thing about Israel is Israelis

British Actress: The best thing about Israel is Israelis

CBNNews.com

Monday, November 02, 2015

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JERUSALEM, Israel -- British actress Helen Mirren warmed the hearts of many at the 29th Israel Film Festival in Los Angeles when she said the best thing about Israel is Israelis.

The 70-year-old award-winning actress received IFF’s Career Achievement Award while American screenwriter Aaron Sorkin, 54, received the Film and Television Achievement Award.

Mirren said a visit to Israel early in her career was “one of the building blocks that have made me into the actress that I am, doing the kind of work I do, that I seek to do and the way in which I seek to do it.”

“Likewise, I was thinking about the building blocks that made Israel the great country that it is and the courage and the commitment of those early people working on the kibbutz that I was lucky enough in those days to meet and work alongside briefly,” Mirren said.

“I love Israel. I think it’s a great, great country,” she continued. “I think that through all the difficulties and all the pain that Israel has suffered in the past and will in the future, the great thing that Israel has is Israelis, and they will guide it through.”

Among her many accomplishments, Mirren won best actress at the 2007 Academy Awards for her performance as Queen Elizabeth.

Sorkin, 54, has also enjoyed many successes as a Hollywood screenwriter. He’s been nominated at this year’s Academy Award for the screenplay for “Steve Jobs.”

“It couldn’t be more important to support Israel,” Sorkin said at the ceremonies.

Israel's History - a Picture a Day - The Shavuot Holiday in the Holy Land

Israel's History - a Picture a Day (Beta)

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The Shavuot Holiday in the Holy Land Posted: 04 Jun 2014  Shavuot celebration in Tel Aviv (1935, Israel Government Press Office, HT: Gina) "And it shall be when you come into the land which the Lord your God gives you for an inheritance and you possess it and dwell therein.  You shall take the first of all the fruit of the ground from the land that the Lord your God gives you, and you shall put it in a basket and you shall go to the place which the Lord your God shall choose to dwell in." [Deuteronomy XXVI:1-2] During the days of the Temple in Jerusalem Jews were commanded to bring their first fruits to the sanctuary during the Shavuot (Pentecost) pilgrimage festival.  It was a joyous thanksgiving holiday.  Poster for Shavuot (1940, Israel Government Press Office) Children's procession in Kibbutz Ein Harod (1938, Israel Government Press Office) A Shavuot gathering?  Original caption: The Keren Hayesod. Agricultural Colonies on Plain of Esdraelon  "The Emek [Jezre'el]." Zionist children at play. A spring group. Children picking wild flowers [Library of Congress, circa 1920-1933] In the early 20th century, the collective Kibbutz and Moshav agricultural movements adopted the holiday to exhibit their produce and farm equipment. The new "tradition" continues to this day. Reader Josh Korn of Canada provided us with this picture and a request: Kibbutz Naan, Shavuot 1932 (Courtesy Josh Korn) This photo is from Kibbutz Naan, dated from Shavuot 1932. I know only one of the people in the photo: the guy wearing glasses on the left is my dad. I'd love to find out who the others are.

Shmuel from Russia

Shmuel Carmeli and Jerusalem friend

In my opinion, life is about people. I would like to introduce you to Shmuel Carmeli. Born 1934 in Austria. 

In 1944 with the Soviets pushing their offensive on the Nazis eastern front, Shmuel's mother, sisters and extended family were shipped to Aushwitz to be murdered. His father and brother took to the woods and met up with Jewish partisans running illegal "teen immigration" past the British naval blockade of the soon to be formed nation of Israel.

This 10 year old dodged Austrian Nazi death squads and fearing conscription into the advancing Soviet infantry Shmuel and his brother linked up with what would become Israel's Mossad and boarded a ship to Israel.

Upon arrival, he settled in Tel Aviv and was given an ID number and was placed in a kibbutz for the children from Europe to learn Hebrew and build a new life.

Shmuel witnessed the rebirth of Israel. In 1967, Shmuel was a member of the Jerusalem Brigade that fought the Jordanian army from the UN complex in Jordanian controlled east Jerusalem into the the Abu tor wadi ( now called the Forest of Peace) up the ridges of Mt Zion to recapture the Jewish Quarter of the Old City.

When not in uniform Shmuel spent his entire career working as a youth worker for the city of Jerusalem .

Shmuel told me that: "Every Jew has a Hagadah and an Agada. I have just shared a portion of his Agada.

(Hagadah is our Passover story
Agada is our personal story.)

Shabbat Shalom!


לכל יהודי יש הגדה ואגדה

A friend From Jerusalem.
Friday, May 17, 2013